greasy

[ gree-see, ‑zee ]

adjective

, greas·i·er, greas·i·est.

1. smeared, covered, or soiled with grease.
2. composed of or containing grease; oily:

   greasy food.

3. greaselike in appearance or to the touch; slippery.
4. insinuatingly unctuous in manner; repulsively slick; oily.
5. Veterinary Pathology. affected with grease.

greasy

/ -sɪ; ˈɡriːzɪ /

adjective

1. coated or soiled with or as if with grease
2. composed of or full of grease
3. resembling grease
4. unctuous or oily in manner

noun

1. a shearer
2. an outback cook, esp cooking for a number of men

Pronunciation Note

greasy is almost always pronounced as [gree, -zee], with a medial [z], in the South Midland and Southern U.S. and as [gree, -see], with a medial [s], in New England, New York State, and the Great Lakes Basin. Speakers of New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania are divided, with some using [s] and some using [z]. Standard British English reflects both [z] and [s] pronunciations and British folk speech is also divided regionally, with [z] heard in the eastern counties and [s] in the central and western ones. Both pronunciations were brought to the colonies, where the present U.S. pattern emerged.

Derived Forms

• ˈgreasiness, noun
• ˈgreasily, adverb

Other Words From

• greasi·ly adverb
• greasi·ness noun
• non·greasy adjective
• over·greasi·ness noun
• over·greasy adjective
• un·greasy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of greasy¹

First recorded in 1505–15

Example Sentences

Then, I’m looking at the guy next to me who is the quintessential sleazy, greasy guy smoking a cigarette, eating his chicken, with the sunglasses on inside and the greasy mustache.

From Los Angeles Times

The Tunbridge Wells site was criticised by a food hygiene inspector from the borough council for using “dirty and greasy” equipment.

From BBC

An aggressively flatulent vision of undarned socks, rumpled shirts and unspeakably greasy trench coat, Lamb is invariably surrounded by whiskey bottles and the moldering remnants of Chinese takeout.

From Los Angeles Times

I wondered if the truck would make our mattress and towels smell the way Dan did when he came home after working — the greasy sweetness of fried dough and powdered sugar.

From Los Angeles Times

It was actually a hand towel my coach gave me because our hands get greasy from loading cartridges into our pistols.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• creamy
• fatty
• slick